The invention relates to a vehicle roof, comprising an opening roof panel, which can be moved from a first, closed roof position into a second, fully opened roof position, the roof panel being held essentially parallel to the rest of the vehicle roof and at a distance from the rest of the vehicle roof in the second roof position, and a lateral guide, the roof panel being guided at least during a part of an opening movement on the guide.
In modern vehicle construction there is a demand for roofs that can be partially opened, giving the largest possible roof opening. This affords the vehicle user driving pleasure comparable to that obtainable with the roof of a full convertible without the disadvantages associated with roofs of such convertibles.
DE 42 38 944 C1 describes a vehicle roof that can be opened and in which an extensive roof panel in a rear area is guided by means of guide pins in guides which are formed in a roof luggage rail. When opening the roof, the roof panel can first be moved by means of a deployment lever into an intermediate position raised at the rear in which the roof panel assumes an inclined position. On reaching the intermediate position, the roof panel can be displaced into a fully opened position toward the rear of the vehicle, the inclination of the roof panel being maintained. This has the disadvantage that the inclination of the roof panel fundamentally prevents the roof panel being displaced by its full length. The proposed solution to this, however, which involves disengaging the deployment lever from the roof panel in the course of the roof opening sequence in order to achieve the greatest possible travel, can also impair the reliability of the drive mechanism due to the increasing mechanical tolerances that occur in use. Furthermore, the proposed vehicle roof does not permit additional positions of the roof panel such as a raised, opened position parallel to the rest of the roof.
DE 42 27 400 C2 describes an opening roof part guided on a guide rail which is formed in the manner of a roof rail, parts of a driving device for the roof part being arranged outside a sealed inner space of the vehicle even with the roof part closed, hence those parts of the driving device being unprotected from weather impact.
DE 195 25 839 C1 describes an opening roof part guided on a guide rail which is formed in the manner of a roof rail, it being impossible to move the roof part by its entire length due to an inclined position of the roof part.